U.S Study On Lifestyle Impact on Health

A recent article in our group's favorite newspaper, The Virginian-Pilot, put a spotlight on an interesting study....

...with the study looking to recruit 1 million volunteers. The purpose of the study, according to the article written by Lauran Neergaard of The Associated Press, is to study 1 million people to learn how genes, environments, and lifestyles interact so that they can better help providers tailor health care.

This type of research could be groundbreaking. Not just because it might confirm findings from many other studies, but that it is based on such an extremely large sample size and it will be used to directly influence the health care choices of many people. In fact, according to the article, if the pilot test of the first 2,500 people who really have enrolled and given blood samples goes well, then the expansion path will be increased very rapidly.

NIH plans to open the study next spring to just about any U.S. adult who's interested, with sign-up as easy as going online. This project is a commitment, with its aim to run at least 10 years.

There we go. Somewhere in all the political rhetoric about health insurance, once in a while we see a potential breakthrough in the focus on improving better health-in a natural organic, and affordable way. The integration of genes, lifestyles and environment. Maybe there's hope after all...!